Fantasy Archives | Otaku No Culture

My Father’s Dragon, More Than A Thoughtful and Magical Adventure

I can’t help but wonder if My Father’s Dragon should’ve been what PIXAR’s The Good Dinosaur wanted to become.

Now on Netflix

Elmer Elevator (Jacob Tremblay) is young and optimistic, but his mother Dela (Golshifteh Farahani) is worried about making ends meet in My Father’s Dragon. This animated fantasy is loaded with splendid production design, and Cartoon Saloon never fails to deliver. We are never told what happened to his father. It’s assumed he passed on and was the “breadwinner,” but since he’s gone, the family is struggling. Nora Twomey‘s last film had that title, and its story is very similar to this one.

In part one, he’s forced to move to a new town with his mom, and they’re struggling to pay the bills. The boy wants to help, but he’s going all about it wrong. After an argument, he runs away.

Continue reading “My Father’s Dragon, More Than A Thoughtful and Magical Adventure”

How to Transform Yourself in the Rite of the Shaman

The Rite of the Shaman will do more than help the hero here break free from those barriers of pain.

Rite of the Shaman Poster Available to watch on YouTube, Apple TV and other VOD platforms.

The Rite of the Shaman is a very inspiring family-friendly film by Alicia Oberle Farmer. Here, she expands the role of what this role means and shows how it’s not restricted to specific cultures. Some people tend to think of them as an aboriginal thing whereas it’s not. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Adrenalin’s song “The Road of the Gypsy” while watching, and that’s because the themes are very similar.

According to Shamism.com, the title bestowed to those individuals also grants them knowledge in how to heal more than just battle wounds, but also enact spiritual contact. These days, it’s considered to be an ancient healing tradition. And what the protagonist in this film experiences (wonderfully played by Tyrell Oberle) is an awakening as he navigates the trials and tribulations of teenage life.

Kai is being bullied and also seeing things. There’s a voice calling to him. One reason he’s not doing well is that he’s worried about his mother, Rebekah (Janice Spencer-Wise). She’s suffering from cancer, and with no one to turn to for help, he’s alone. He’s an only child. The orchestral score wonderfully carries this work and gives us that emotional resonance to understand this boy’s plight. Props go to Donovan Colton for a delightful soundtrack; it includes everything I adore which includes flights of fancy from the likes of Enya and Yanni.

Continue reading “How to Transform Yourself in the Rite of the Shaman”

About The House of the Lost on the Cape, Japanese Folklore and More in this Home Video Review

The House of the Lost on the Cape is not an impressive film title, but it gets to the point.

The House of the Lost on the Cape Eleven Arts and Shout! Factory
Available to purchase on Amazon USA

The animated adaptation of Sachiko Kashiwaba’s novel The House of the Lost on the Cape is sweet. Not only does it carefully touch upon recent events in a thoughtful manner, but also brings folklore to life, by revealing what its relationship is to the environment. The themes explored isn’t too different from what Studio Ghibli’s Pon Poko paraded in a town facing ecological devestation. Instead, the harmony is more reminescent from My Neighbour Totoro, and that’s why I took notice.

In this film’s case, the opening act recalls the devestation from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. The people who chose to stay in the Kitsunezaki region are just doing what they can to go on. But from the terror comes a chance for Yui (Mana Ashida) to leave home. She wasn’t happy because of constant family squabbles, and what we learn about this past is not always neatly explained. Sometime afterwards in her wanderings, she befriends another child, Hiyori (Sari Awano)–who lost her parents–and what they discover may well be a chance to learn how to live life to its fullest.

Continue reading “About The House of the Lost on the Cape, Japanese Folklore and More in this Home Video Review”

Is There No Place For Bravery with Glitch Factory Games’ Latest?

In No Place For Bravery, players may well be wanting to turn Thorn into the Mighty Thor, but that won’t come easy.

Available for the Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam

No Place For Bravery is a beautiful looking retro-style RPG where its fantasy narrative matters more than the game play. Here, you’re guiding a former Nordic warrior, Thorn, on his quest to find his daughter. She’s been kidnapped, and it’s sometimes tough to notice the clues about where her captors have taken her. Each decision you make can either bring him closer to an unsettling truth or decide to hang up the sword for good.

In this game’s case, it’s about why must our intrepid adventurer cross the road? The little girl means everything to him, and it seems he’ll stop at nothing to bring her back. That also includes killing, and when considering he’s a war veteran, the PTSD will one day come back to haunt him. That’s one reason why this game measures up. The pixel based bloodshed is enough to satsify an Evil Dead fan, but as for what it all means, the dialgoue that opens this story up is haunting.

In that regard, playing this game on a big screen rather than a small one is a must. I found the story very satisfying but the game, not so much. When I wasn’t playing at home, I found Orion’s Upswitch gaming accessory to be very helpful. Although this larger screen attachment lacks touch controls, that’s okay. The controllers you attach onto this device help do the work. I’ll be providing a more detailed review in later days, after trying it on other games which I always wanted to make portable.

Continue reading “Is There No Place For Bravery with Glitch Factory Games’ Latest?”

20 Highly Anticipated Movies of 2023, Early Edition (Part Three)

One can blame the pandemic and recent legal issues with certain talents for causing this list of highly anticipated movies of 2023 to constantly change.

Usually, this slate doesn’t appear until the start of the New Year, but I’m making an exception since a few films that were originally slated for 2021 or 2022 got pushed back. One can blame the pandemic and recent legal issues with certain talents for causing this list of highly anticipated movies of 2023 to constantly change. Some movie projects simply had bad luck in terms of finding a date that works in a competing world as people are ready to head back to the theatre than let a pesky pandemic dictate what they can do.

This list is certain to be added upon as more international releases are made known, and then pared to a top ten for my annual list at the start of the new year. There are other films to consider, but Moujin: The Secret Coffin, Coyote vs Acme, and The Last Voyage of the Demeter aren’t dated.

Also, my list further expands upon the material I presented from my panel from last weekend, during Capital City Comic Con‘s Autumn Fall Show.

Continue reading “20 Highly Anticipated Movies of 2023, Early Edition (Part Three)”

Best Upcoming Genre Films of 2022 To Close Out With (Part Two)

We offer our list of what the best upcoming genre films of 2022 are that are must sees.

This year is nearly over! And as for what the best upcoming genre films of 2022 are that we should see, I offer my top ten picks. It wouldn’t be fair to be America-side centric, since that’d be alienating fans of anime movies.

To note, this list makes up part of my presentation at Capital City Comic Con 2022 and is provided for those who were unable to make it to the morning panel. I heard from a few attendees that they wanted to show up, and gave one reason or another….

As for Halloween related films, the fun has already begun this month, and my preview was posted early so fans can get a head start. There’s one movie that stands out which must be seen, especially if you’re a fan of Makoto Shinkai’s works. In that regard, I offer my top ten list, which starts with:

SUZUME’S LOCKING UP (Suzume no Tojimari)

Nov 11, 2022

No list can be complete without at least one movie from Japan. Makoto Shinkai’s animated films are original ideas. After Weathering with You and Your Name, this latest work explores the relationship a young girl has with a male stranger who is in search of a special door. Just where they lead is not to Wonderland, but perhaps danger. Unlike Monsters Inc, these portals may not be to isn’t to paradise.

It’s very likely GKIDS will pick up this title and release it by the end of the year, if not next.

In sequential order, by release date, of the best upcoming genre films of 2022, are:

Continue reading “Best Upcoming Genre Films of 2022 To Close Out With (Part Two)”